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An-Tanf: what would be the role of Turkey in the implementation of a Russian-American agreement?

16 October 2018

The United States has de facto occupied a 55-square-kilometer area south of the Syrian Homs province bordering Iraq, establishing a buffer zone around their al-Tanf military base.

This base allows the last terrorist pockets of Daesh to reorganize itself to fight the forces of the Syrian army and its allies.

While US officials speak from time to time of the imminent withdrawal of the US military from Syria, the various sources of information have reported the recruitment by Washington of new fighters to strengthen the base of al-Tanf in southern Homs, near the Iraqi border. The White House would intend to use this base as a pressure lever in the future settlement of the Syrian crisis.

The United States had recently announced an agreement with Russia on the upcoming withdrawal of their forces from al-Tanf. But this agreement is not yet applied. Analysts are of the opinion that the appointment of Turkey as mediator and guarantor of the implementation of the agreement is at the origin of the delay of its application. Apparently, Ankara was to ensure the transfer of all armed groups from al-Tanf area and Rukban refugee camp to northern Syria to prepare the return of civilians from that region to their villages.

But according to a well-informed source on the ground, Turkey has strongly opposed the transfer of terrorist groups stationed at al-Tanf and supported by the United States, including al-Qaryatayn, Maqawir al-Thawra and Ahmad al-Abdou, to Jerablus, Afrin and other parts of northern Syria.

The source adds, however, that it is likely that Ankara and Washington have reached a secret agreement to delay the implementation of the Russian-US agreement. Thus, US forces that conditioned their withdrawal to the evacuation of “armed groups” will not withdraw from the al-Tanf base.

This comes as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Verchinin said in early October that the United States should withdraw from the al-Tanf region. He added that the Rukban camp should also be closed.

“This camp is located in the al-Tanf area, which is illegally controlled by the Americans. Americans must leave this region. As long as they are there, this camp will be under their protection. And the whole area is quite large. Unfortunately, according to some information, this territory is used by the Daesh terrorists, who reorganize and rest there, “he said.